Stating that the process of zoning implementation starts with the sanctioning power conferred by the complementary parts of the implementary development plan and the building regulations – what is called “plan / regulation correspondence,” the author points out that recent rearrangements have transformed this relationship from a complementary scheme to a competitive one.

Graduated from METU in 1968, Necdet Teymur, with an id no 3363 to the Chamber of Architects’ Ankara Branch, passed away on June 7, 2017. Teymur had significant contributions in the fields of architecture, design education, theory and history. Tevfik Balcıoğlu has written his obituary.

Salacak, Çukurköy, Besim Çeçener / H. Sinan Omacan

Graduated from the DGSA in 1961, Besim Çeçener, with an id no 1635 to Chamber of Architects’ İstanbul Metropolitan Branch, passed away on July 15, 2017. Having been in various positions regarding conservation and planning both in the government departments and in the Chamber of Architects, Çeçener received the "Achievement Award in Contribution to Architecture." H. Sinan Omacan has written his obituary.

AGENDA

The Dramatic End in the Debate Against the Existing Structure: The Grenfell Tower Fire / İkbal Erbaş

The Grenfell Tower fire in London has caused the professionals to reevaluate the current fire safety legislations and the security measures in our country. While it is difficult to know whether the public authorities who are supposed to think about these subjects in the first place followed a similar questioning, it looks hardly possible to hope any rearrangements in the regulations if one remembers the actions taken in the past. The author is looking for the answer to the question: "What would have happened if the fire had occurred in Turkey?"

Sponge City-Resilient City / Murat Balamir

Severe storm and hail are typical examples of extreme weather conditions and climatic events whose frequency and strength keep increasing due to the climate change. Recently, Istanbul once again faced a flood disaster. Emphasizing the vulnerability of our cities made up of impervious concrete surfaces, the author reiterates proposals that were stated in the 2004 Istanbul Earthquake Master Plan but have not been applied so far.

On the Criticism Against the Exposed Concrete Raised Through the Internet Discussions / Özlem Erdoğdu Erkarslan

The difference between the gray of the Brutalist buildings and the soulless colors surrounding our cities and the “concrete building” industry is clear only to some of the professionals. As stated by the author, to be able to see the design and the detailing behind the exposed concrete, the rest of the society should be informed about the design culture. To this end, establishing common discussion grounds is crucial.

Aphrodisias, the Sculpture Center of the Ancient World, is in the World Heritage List/ Aykut Karaman

Following the 41st UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting, the ancient city of Aphrodisias was listed as the 17th heritage site of Turkey. The author, the chairperson of the site management plan, explains the importance of Aphrodisias as a high-quality production center for marble sculptures. Karaman further notes the contributions made by the World Heritage List to the preservation of cultural heritage.

EVENT

On The Experience of Final Juri Reviews at the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism / Neslihan Dostoğlu

Following her experience at the final juri reviews at the Ion Mincu School of Architecture and Urbanism in Romania, the author draws attention to the educational vision of the school, that, by establishing an international jury composition, ensures each student be evaluated by professionals with different perspectives.

We need to discuss the quality of quantitative data in this environment where, for the newly opened universities, providing a large space is sufficient enough to offer architectural education. Right before the 9th Architecture and Education Assembly to be held at METU, on November 16-17, 2017, the author reviews the current conditions framing architectural education and emphasizes the importance of "Turkey’s Architectural Education Policy".

Within the commemoration program, we continue to address Maruf Önal, with an id no 3 to the Chamber of Architects, through his contributions to the Chamber as well as his significant buildings within architectural practice. Focusing on Önal's forty-year old Kaplancalı Apartment in Istanbul, the authors draw attention to the brutalist style, unusual plan composition and the use of innovative materials, and point out the necessity of protecting this structure that is situated in a region under the threat of urban transformation.

ARCHITECTURAL CRITISM

TAC-SEV New Campus with its Integrated Composition / Pınar Gökbayrak

TAC-SEV New Campus won the award in “Building Category” at the 2016 National Architecture Awards. The award was given for “being a new school building, implanted into a rich urban texture and carrying a sensitive approach in a difficult location and in a position which requires rigorous construction field; for showing that proposed modern solutions can add positive value to an existing historical fabric by an intellectual design and its realization; for being an exemplar model campus for an innovative and modern approach to school buildings that are to be built in future by public institutions in Turkey; for the respectful attitude the plan, volumetric solutions and the grouping of buildings establish with the existing urban fabric and with the buildings in close vicinity like St. Paul’s Church, Ulu Mosque; the quality of green spaces, the inner courtyard and the façade organizations which take regional climatic values into consideration, and the attentive quality assigned to the transportation links.” The author emphasizes the integrated language of the new project with the existing campus and puts forward the spatial variety of the new project as the main reason behind the acceptance of the school by all age groups.

To obtain a project that will prepare the Çekirge Square for the future while preserving its historical identity and urban potentials, as well as reorganizing the existing historical, natural and cultural context of the area, the traffic and the close connections with the immediate surroundings, the Bursa Osmangazi Municipality organized an architectural competition. Out of a number of projects selected for the second stage of this free, national and two-staged competition, 3 awards and 4 equivalent honorable mentions were distributed.

Following a city branding strategy, the Elazığ Municipality organized an urban design and architectural competition of the city center to provide a gathering space during important events; to meet recreational needs; and to ease the traffic flow in the square and its vicinity. 19 projects were evaluated in the free, national and single-staged competition, and 3 awards, 3 equivalent honorable mentions were distributed.

Urban life is affected by the change of both the structures and the empty areas that the structures define or leave as it is without any spatial definition. The article, which emerges from the idea that these voids in the cities are places where the memory of social life accumulates, tells the 20th century story of the Kuşdili Meadow in Kadıköy.

The transformation projects of non-functioning industrial areas prove to be successful when planned with an approach prioritizing public utility. The author presents a coal mine in Germany and draws attention to the importance of preserving not only the material, physical conditions of the area but also various immaterial values such as lifestyles, identities and the sense of belonging.

URBAN POLICIES

Can the Green Economy be an Option for a More Fair and Sustainable Future? / Osman Balaban, Meltem Şenol Balaban

Environmental problems are becoming increasingly diverse and global. Drawing attention to the importance of the approach of green economy to minimize environmental risks, the authors emphasize that Turkey's economy should be directed towards environment-friendly sectors, that are more open to innovation and competition, such as renewable energy, organic agriculture and green architecture.

CONTACT

Incorporating Instead of Removing: Comuna 13 / Nihan Gürel Unur

This escalator project is one of the works carried out within the plan of improving squatter areas of Medellin, Colombia's second largest city which has been accommodating a huge immigrant population. In Comuna 13, one of the dangerous neighborhoods of violent crime, the escalator, supported by green areas and public terraces on different levels, enhances the accessibility of the region while increasing the attractiveness of the district. By so doing, it demonstrates that the urban renewal can be achieved without relocating the local residents.